Sometimes, watching television or a sporting event may be enjoyable for those who find it difficult to disconnect from work. Nick Saban, however, does not share this view.
During a weekly radio broadcast, the famed coach admitted, “I have a really difficult time enjoying the game when I watch it.”
The issue stems from the quantity of research he has conducted on the game over his career. Perhaps it is his urge to remedy every problem he sees on the field that bothers him, or the fact that he sees so many football mistakes.
Whether I’m observing a defensive team for our offensive preparation or the other team’s offense for the defense’s preparation, I’m always trying to determine what the difficulties are, what creates problems, and what changes we would have to do if we were playing against that team. That’s all I do,” continued Saban.
Nick Saban Getty Photographs
“At the conclusion of the game, I find myself wondering, ‘Why didn’t they call timeout?’… I manage a game as though we were participating in it. Therefore, I ask, “What can we watch on Netflix?”
Tom Brady stated at the beginning of the season that he has witnessed “a lot of awful football” while seeing others play. Saban and Alabama have a losing record of 8-2 and are certain to miss the College Football Playoff.
Few possess the same football intellect as Saban and Brady. And, it appears, their irritation at observing errors.